Christmas Cheer
by Watercolor-Dragon
Summary: Everyone wants a cheerful Tatsumi for Christmas. Tatsumi wants to make someone smile.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer – I don't own Yami no Matsuei.  If I did it would be a lot smuttier!

Author's notes – This is actually my first work of fiction.  I usually just write academic papers.  I hope you enjoy it!  Review if you have the time!

-----_thoughts_-----

            Tatsumi Seichiro walked up the Sakura covered path to his office building with a frown on his face.  He looked up just in time to see Watari lean out of the window to grab his owl, 003, from a nearby branch.  Although the scientist must have seen him, Watari gave no indication, merely shutting the window and turning away.

_-----"Another day of this and I think I am going to break.  I shouldn't have been so harsh with him.  I wasn't really angry, he just surprised me.  Now it looks as though he doesn't even want to see me.  I know he's been avoiding me all week.  He hasn't even blown anything up.  I should apologize, but dammit what am I supposed to say? -- Sorry, I smacked your hand away and basically called you a fussy nuisance.  I didn't mean it, but when you invade my personal space it makes me nervous and I'm afraid I might do something foolish?"------_

He sighed, "I suppose it will work itself out eventually, and the lack of explosions has been rather nice."             

The secretary pushed his glasses up his nose and tried to act as if talking to cherry trees was something he did on a regular basis.  It wouldn't do to have the other employees questioning his sanity after all.    

As Tatsumi entered the building he braced himself for the inevitable onslaught of requests for funding and excuses for overspending that made up most of his days here in Meifu.  He rarely went out on missions any more, it seemed his money management skills were in far greater demand than his other talents.  On most days this was completely fine with him.  Numbers were relaxing and focusing on expenditures and budgets kept his mind from unpleasant things that he did not want to think about.  

After grabbing a cup of coffee from the break room, Tatsumi headed for his office.  Just as he turned the corner he met up with his former partner Tsusuki.  With an exasperated look he surveyed the other man's rumpled shirt, undone tie and hopeful expression.

"Good morning, Tatsumi!"

"No Tsusuki, I still will not approve funds for your Christmas party idea.  You get the day off from work.  That should be enough.  With all of the debt you have accrued, I should make you work on Christmas to make up some of it."  Tatsumi gave an inward sigh as Tsusuki's eyes filled with tears.

"But….It's Christmas.  Don't you like Christmas?"

"I like it fine, but I also like to stay under budget.  Don't you have some work to be doing, Tsusuki?"

"Yes, Of course, Tatsumi, I'll go and help Hisoka right now.", shoulders slumped in defeat, the younger shinigami turned to leave.  Tatsumi was just about to call him back when he caught a glimpse of the calculating look on Tsusuki's face.  

-----"_What is that all about?  He gave up far too easily.  He's got something planned, I'm sure of it.  I'll just send a shadow along with him until I find out what "it" is."-----_

Smiling at his own cleverness the secretary entered his office as Tsusuki's "shadow" followed him to the office he shared with Hisoka and then on to Watari's lab.

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-----"If I add just a little more of this chemical, then I'm sure it will have the correct effect…."-----

"Watari-san."

-----"Or perhaps I need to heat it to a higher temperature…."-----

"WATARI-SAN!!"

The scientist turned slowly in his chair to stair blankly at the source of the interruption.  It was a common occurrence considering his dual role here in Meifu as researcher and physician and, under normal circumstances, visitors were always welcome in the lab but today was different.  He was on the verge of discovering the formula for his gender-changing potion.

"Yes, Hisoka-kun, Tsusuki, what can I do for you?"

Picking up on his tone, his two coworkers suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable.  Tsusuki was the first to overcome the awkward silence.

"Ah, Watari, we were wondering if you could help us?"

"You were wondering, baka, don't drag me into this."

            Hisoka did in fact look as if he would prefer to be anywhere other than the lab at the moment but as always, he gave in when his partner turned on the charm.  Watari could tell that presently, he was going to be the next target for Tsusuki's thousand watt smile and prepared himself for whatever scheme his fellow Shinigami had come up with.

"We want you to make Tatsumi cheerful for Christmas!"

-----"Where did he come up with this one?!  Tatsumi was about as far from cheerful as a person could get.  Honest, hardworking, and (though I'd never say it out loud) extremely attractive, but cheerful?"-----

Watari returned Tsusuki's smile and waited for the rest of the plan to be explained.

"You see, I think that if Tatsumi is feeling cheerful then he will let us have a Christmas party in the office this year.  I've already tried asking him but he says there is no room in the budget for frivolous expenditures. Etc. etc. blah, blah, blah."

Tsusuki proceeded to outline the extremes to which he and to a lesser extent the other employees of the Shokan division had gone to convince Tatsumi, the overly thrifty secretary, to part with holiday cheer, in the form of cold, hard, cash.  It looked as though they had been less than successful.

"Wakaba-chan and I even offered to make the decorations ourselves", Tsusuki pouted, "but he won't budge.   Will you help us?"

This plea was delivered with full Tsusuki power.  Puppy ears, tail, big shiny purple eyes, no one could resist.  Watari didn't even try.  After all, a cheerful Tatsumi might turn one of his all too rare smiles toward someone other than Tsusuki.

-----"Maybe I can even get him to smile at me.  No, not after I made him so angry on our last mission.  If I try to slip him some strange concoction he will probably murder me, but…not if he's cheerful!"-----

"Sure Tsusuki, I'm in.  It will take me a couple of days to come up with something, though.  Is that soon enough?"  Watari flashed the pair of men one of his own blinding smiles and managed to move away from the boiling formula on the table before Tsusuki wrapped him in an enthusiastic puppy hug. 

"Thanks, you're the best, Watari!  This Christmas will be great I just know it!  I'm going to go help Wakaba-chan with the decorations!" Tsusuki bounded off with his puppy mode still in full swing, happily whistling a corny carol about sugarplums.

Watari was just about to resume his chemistry project when he realized that Hisoka had not followed his happy-go-lucky partner out the door.  The boy looked concerned and a little ill at the same time.  A good sign that his empathy had picked up on something.

"Uh, Watari-san, are you sure this is alright with you?  You haven't been in trouble with Tatsumi-san lately, do you really want to tempt fate?", Hisoka was now looking down at his feet while a fierce blush spread across his cheeks.

-----"Poor kid, he's trying to help me stay out of trouble.  He probably picked up on the tension between Tatsumi and me.  What can I say that will ease his mind and not come out as totally pathetic?  "I don't care if he gets angry as long as he talks to me again" No, pathetic.  "It will serve him right for ignoring me for the past week" Nope, no good."-----

"It's O.K. Bon, I'm actually doing this for Tatsumi-san.  He has been stressed out for a long time.  Although Tsusuki will probably reap all of the benefit from my potion, I think maybe Tatsumi-san would like to be cheerful for the holiday.  Maybe he just doesn't remember how.  If he needs one of my formulas to relax and have fun for awhile then that's what he'll get.  And after it's over he can go back to his somber self and pretend it was all my fault.", Watari could tell that Hisoka still felt a little guilty about dosing his superior with Enma only knew what, but at least he seemed a little more relaxed.

"You will just have to make sure that Tsusuki doesn't do anything too outrageous in the next two days or our cover will be blown, O.K.?"

Neither one of them noticed when the shadows below the window slowly flowed under the lab door and out into the hallway.


	2. The spy returns

The shadows in Tatsumi's office began to shift and enlarge as his little "spy" returned from its mission.  The secretary pushed back from his desk and walked over to stare out the window.  

-----"Well, well, well….Isn't this interesting.  A cheerful me for Christmas, heh.  And all so they can spend an afternoon consuming far too much alcohol and singing silly songs.  Well, I'll soon put a stop to this nonsense."-----

Tatsumi grabbed his jacket and headed out to confront the schemers before they could put their plan into action.  He shut the door to his office, rounded the corner at an angry walk, and promptly crashed into Watari who was just leaving the break room.  The scientist stared up at him from the floor with coffee spreading across his white lab coat and glasses hanging from one ear.  As soon as he realized he had run into Tatsumi and not a wall he quickly looked away and rose from the floor, wiping at the spreading stain on his coat.

            "Sorry Tatsumi-san, I didn't see you there.  Did I spill any coffee on you?", Long blonde hair covered Watari's face as he looked everywhere but at the man standing in front of him.

            "No, it was my fault Watari-san, I was in a hurry and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

----"Now's my chance I can put an end to all of the cheerful Tatsumi nonsense before it even starts.  Wait…..Why isn't he looking at me?  He looks as if he's expecting me to yell at him.  I ran into YOU for heaven sake!  You should be angry with ME!"-----

Tatsumi searched for something to say that would end the awkward silence that had grown between him and his sometimes partner.  A few words to let Watari know that he wasn't and had never been angry.  Then everything could go back to normal.  Watari would smile and blow up the lab.  Tatsumi could get angry and threaten to cut the research budget.  But nothing came to mind.  He just stood there as Watari adjusted his glasses and looked extremely uncomfortable.

-----"Way to go Yutaka, nothing like bashing into the very person who least wants to see your face.  Look at him, he's so angry he can't even find anything to say to you when you are right in front of him.  Run away, before you do anything else."-----

            "Um, Tatsumi-san, excuse me but you're blocking the door to the lab."

 This was delivered as Watari very carefully examined the potted plant sitting by the door.  Head bowed he chanced a peek at the older shinigami through the curtain of his hair.  Tatsumi looked as though he wanted to speak but instead he nodded and moved away from the door.  With a slight gesture of acknowledgment, Watari slipped into the lab and quietly shut the door.  Tatsumi made his way back to his office, the previous mission thrown from his mind by the sight of Watari's anxious expression.

The shadows swirled around him slowly as he sank down into his chair and put his head into his hands.  

-----"What have I done?  I thought he would forget all about what I said in a few days.  I threaten his after-life on a daily basis.  What makes this time different?  It's been a week now.  He barely comes out of the lab, and now he's not even smiling.  I don't know how to apologize for this."-----


	3. Operation make Tatsumi cheerful

The day of operation make Tatsumi cheerful dawned bright and sunny.  Hisoka looked up from his desk as Tsusuki bounded in carrying a half-eaten Christmas cake and wearing a hat with mistletoe attached to the brim.

            "Good morning 'soka," he chimed as he planted a kiss on his partner's pale cheek.  

            "Baka, what are you doing!?" Hisoka pushed a grinning Tsusuki away as a furious blush spread across his cheeks.

            "Awww, come on, its mistletoe.  I had to kiss you."

            Tsusuki just managed to dodge the well-aimed stack of papers that came flying towards his head as he leaned over and placed the hat on his small partner's head.  He was still smiling as he sat down and helped himself to another slice of cake.

            "Hisoka, have you seen Watari this morning?"

            "No, but I have been WORKING, Tsusuki."

            Unfazed, the chocolate covered man reached behind his desk to produce a box filled with brightly colored ribbons and streamers. 

            "I hope he gets Tatsumi cheerful soon.  Wakaba-chan and I want to hang the decorations before lunch."

            At just that moment Watari appeared in the doorway of their office.  Tsusuki jumped up from behind his desk to attack the scientist as Hisoka pushed the mistle-toe hat onto the desk.  Watari avoided his friend's ambush and managed to land gracefully in the chair facing Hisoka.  The blonde had a triumphant smile on his face as he reached for a slice of cake.   

            "Well, it's done.  I put the formula in the coffee this morning and I just saw him take a cup back to his office."  Watari finished his sentence with a grin and turned his attention to the cake on his plate.

            "But, how will we know if it worked?"

            "Wait five more minutes and then go and ask him about a Christmas party, I guess."

            The time ticked slowly by as Tsusuki paced excitedly from one side of the office to the other.  Hisoka finally pushed his chair back and stood up with an exasperated sigh.  

            "I'm going to the library.  When this silly scheme of yours backfires, don't look for me."

            Tsusuki gave his young partner a fond smile as the boy slouched out of the office towards the solitude of the library.

            "You know Tsusuki, if my potion works we could give some to Bon as well.  He could do with a little holiday cheer of his own."

            "No, that's alright.  I think he's just having trouble with all of the emotions that fly around this time of year.  He'll be O.K.  I like him just as he is.  Yeah!  Time's up I'm going to go find Tatsumi now!"

            Puppy ears and a tail made their appearance as Tsusuki bounded off to test Watari's potion.

-----"Good luck, Tsusuki.  If anyone can find Tatsumi's cheerful side it would be you."-----

With a smile that was only a little sad the scientist made his way back to the lab brushing cake crumbs from his fingers as he left the office.

Tsusuki reached one hand up to softly knock on Tatsumi's office door.  Now that he was here he wished he had gotten Watari to join him.  Though lately his friend seemed a little reluctant to interact with Tatsumi.  Concern nearly detoured him from his current course of action but just as he was about to leave he heard Tatsumi's muffled "Come in."

-----"Here goes nothing!"-----

            "Good morning Tatsumi!  How are you today?"

            " I'm remarkably well Tsusuki, what brings you to my office this morning?"

            "I know you have already told me no a hundred times, but Tatsumi, couldn't we just have a small Christmas party this year.  Wakaba-chan and I made all of the decorations, and there will be cake and sake, and did I mention the cake and……"

            "Very well, I suppose it is only once a year and since you have gone through so much trouble.  I will allow it ……after lunch."

            Tsusuki was so shocked that he nearly forgot breath for a minute.  Tatsumi stood up and walked around his desk.  Placing a hand on the stunned shinigami's shoulder he propelled him easily towards the door.  

            "Now Tsusuki, I really need to get some work done before the party so why don't you go find everyone and give them the details, hmmm?"

            "Right, I'll just do that, Thank you Tatsumi."

            "Not at all it's my pleasure after all Christmas only comes once a year."

            Tsusuki turned and walked dazedly down the hall.  He was oblivious to the cunning smile that crossed the secretary's face as he closed the office door behind him.


	4. The party

The party was in full swing by the time Watari had worked up enough courage to make an appearance.  Ever since Tsusuki had reported the success of the cheerful potion, Watari had been feeling slightly uneasy.

-----"I hope he doesn't become too cheerful.  After all I am going to pay for it if he embarrasses himself.  I shouldn't have given him anything.  Stupid, stupid, stupid, Yutaka.  He will really hate you now.  I'll just have to keep him from doing anything too out of character, that's all."-----

            The scientist surveyed the break room as he made his way to an open spot by the food table.  Tsusuki was sitting with Wakaba-chan eating something chocolate while Terezuma scowled at them over his cigarette.  The other members of the Shokan division were engaged in a lively round of charades and Tatsumi…….was leaning against the wall smiling at something behind Watari's shoulder.  Watari turned to look for who ever the secretary was smiling at but found only the coffee machine behind him.  He started to panic as Tatsumi made his way across the room, his meticulously pressed suit currently adorned with ribbons of assorted colors.  The older man had a drink in each hand and as he approached he gave one to the startled blonde with a sheepish grin.

-----"Tatsumi does not grin.  He frowns, he scowls, but he certainly does not grin.  Oh, what have I done?  I turned him into a weird, grinning freak.  What if it doesn't wear off?  What if he stays like this forever?  I change my mind, I take it all back, he was fine as he was."-----

Tatsumi didn't seem to notice Watari's muffled whimper as the blonde finished off his drink in one gulp.  He stood silently watching as Watari ran his hand through his hair and fingered the slightly burned ribbon that held most of it back from his face.  

            "Watari-san, so nice of you to finally join us.  I was beginning to think we would have to drag you away from your lab today.  Ah, but you seem to have burned your ribbon.  Here, take one of these.  I have plenty."

            Watari stood perfectly still as Tatsumi reached around and freed his long blonde hair from the ribbon holding it in place.  The secretary chose one of the ribbons currently adorning his suit and refastened the hair into its previous loose braid.  

            "There, that's much better.  Don't you agree Wakaba-chan?"  Watari had been so stunned that he failed to register the approach of the young girl until she was already standing beside them.  Wakaba had outfitted herself with a wreath of holly berries in her hair and a pretty red dress.  She looked happy and relaxed.  Watari wished he could share in the cheer but he was too busy trying to still his pounding heart to do more than smile sickly at Wakaba.

            "Oh, Yes that's great.  Hmmm, that ribbon is the same color as your eyes, Tatsumi-san."  It looks good in Watari-san's blonde hair."  Wakaba gave him an encouraging smile and returned to where her partner stood talking to Hisoka.

            "Thank you Tatsumi-san, I didn't realize my ribbon had gotten so burnt."

            "That's because you have been working very hard this week Watari-san.  You need to take a break.  Enjoy the party.  After all Christmas comes only once a year."

            With another cheery smile and a slight wave of his hand, Meifu's most serious resident happily rejoined the party.  


	5. In the wake of the Christmas party

Watari looked miserably at the destruction left in the wake of the Christmas party.  Everyone had finally managed to stagger out of the office a short while ago and now only the rumpled scientist remained.  With a sigh he bent down and started dumping trash and decorations into a large garbage bag.  

-----"Maybe if I clean all of this up Tatsumi will think that the party was all a bad dream."-----

            "No, chance of that you simpleton."  Watari winced as he recalled Tatsumi willingly singing carols and eating cake with Tsusuki.  This was his fault.  He had caused reserved, dignified, Tatsumi Seichiro to act like a fool.  Everyone would remember it for as long as they didn't live and therefore, he would never be able to forget.

            Watari slid down the wall into a sitting position and put his head into his folded arms.  He wasn't sure how long he had been in that position when he heard someone come in and begin cleaning where he had left off.

            "I'll do that, you can go home if you want."  Watari didn't even look up to see whom he was addressing; it really didn't matter much at this point.

            "Nonsense Watari-san you can't clean all of this up by yourself."

            Tatsumi regarded the younger shinigami with his usual reserved expression.  Watari looked up at him from the floor and began to shake.  He tried to stand but it seemed as though his legs had other ideas.  So, he just sat there with a terrified expression on his face and waited for the inevitable.

            "It looks as though everyone enjoyed themselves this afternoon, wouldn't you agree Watari-san."

            Watari tried to answer but no sound came out of his mouth.  He covered his face with both hands and began to sob.

            "Sorry….I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

            Tatsumi stared at him with a dumbfounded look on his face.  He kneeled down beside Watari and tried to make sense of what he was hearing.

-----"Sorry for what?  Why is he crying?  I thought he wanted me to be cheerful."-----

            "I put something in your coffee this morning to make you cheerful.  Tsusuki wanted a Christmas party and I thought if you were cheerful you might forgive me but I made you act strangely and now I know you're angry and I'm sorry.  I'd take it back if I could so……."

            "No you didn't"

            Watari stopped in the middle of another apology to fix the older man with a confused stare.  A single tear made its way down his cheek and Tatsumi reached over to gently wipe it away.

            "But I saw you get coffee this morning, and then you O.K.'d the party and then you were so….."

            "Cheerful?  Isn't that what you all wanted?  You didn't see me drink the coffee did you Watari-san?"

            Tatsumi took a seat next to the scientist and reached over to gently lift Watari's head until the man's amber-colored eyes met his.

            "Well, no but you had to have.  I mean why else would you act so well, cheerful?"

            "I wanted to make someone smile, but it appears to have backfired.  I knew about your plan all along Watari-san.  One of my shadows has been following Tsusuki for the past two days."

            Watari jerked his head free and pushed himself to his feet.  He staggered over to the table and poured himself a drink from one of the remaining bottles.  

            "Why then?  Why didn't you bust us?  You could have stopped the party before it even started.  I don't understand."

            "I told you, I wanted to make some one smile.  I couldn't think of any other way to do it."  

Tatsumi tried to close the distance between the two of them but Watari backed away with a sour look on his face.

            "You did pretty well, I think Tsusuki was really happy.  He probably ate his weight in chocolate today."

            Watari knew he sounded bitter but all he wanted right now was to sink into the floor and disappear.

-----"Of course, he wanted to give Tsusuki his party so he used my potion as an excuse.  If we all thought he was drugged he could give in."-----

             Watari searched the room angrily until he found his coat.  As he knelt to free the sleeve from beneath a nearby chair.  He felt Tatsumi's hand on his shoulder.  When he tried to stand and brush it away the grip tightened and Tatsumi used his height to an advantage as he swung Watari to face him.

            "I did not do this to make Tsusuki smile, Watari-san.  I wanted to make you smile, but apparently I have only succeeded in making you even more angry with me."

            "What do you care if I smile or not.  Aren't I just a fussy nuisance to you Tatsumi-san?"  Watari could not keep the hurt from his voice and at this point he did not care.  He tried again to free himself from his partner's grip but instead he found himself pulled into a firm embrace as Tatsumi spoke into his ear.

            "I did not mean the things that I said, Watari.  You surprised me.  I know you were only trying to help me out of my wet clothes but when you touched me I didn't know what to do and so I lashed out.  People who get close to me get hurt.  I could not bear to see that happen to you.  Though now it seems I have managed to hurt you myself.  Please forgive me, Watari.  I am truly sorry."

            Tatsumi tightened his grip on the scientist.  At first Watari merely stood there with his arms hanging limply at his sides.  Then slowly he brought his arms up to return the embrace and looked up into cool blue eyes with a crafty grin.

            "I suppose I could forgive you……..if you smile at me again."

            Tatsumi reached back to close the door and gifted his partner with a smile just for him.

            "Merry Christmas, Watari."

            "Merry Christmas to you too, Tatsumi."   


End file.
